London, Apr 8 (ANI): British police had hidden facts about at least 60 schoolgirls being groomed for sex mainly by Asian staff at fast food outlets in Blackpool, for reasons of political correctness.

An unpublicised police report produced after 14-year-old Charlene Downes vanished in 2003, found the girls, mostly white, had been victims of the ‘honey pot’ premises, the Daily Mail reports.

After four years, another girl, 15-year-old Paige Chivers, also went missing, and detectives believe that she might have been killed like Charlene, whose body has never been found.

Two Middle Eastern restaurant owners were acquitted over Charlene’s murder in 2007 and the crime has not been solved as of now.

The pair still run a kebab shop in Blackpool, which indicates links to Paige’s disappearance, and she too was identified as a victim of sexual exploitation.

Last year police reported that the takeaway was attracting young girls who were being supplied with alcohol and cocaine.

Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Rhodes has said that his officers were making significant progress in tackling child sex exploitation across Lancashire, regardless of the background of the culprits.

“We recognise that in some areas the number of Asian offenders is disproportionate to the population and far from ignoring this, have been tackling the issue head on by working with the local communities, giving presentations to community forums and visiting mosques to raise awareness,” he added. (ANI)